Fuel-supply system



F. R. PORTER.

FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3, 1920.

1,48%861, Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

2 SHEETs SHEl-IT l.

, I W BY ATTORNEY F. R. PORTER.

FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM. AFPLICATlON FILED MAR, 13, 1920 1,437,861, PatentedDec. 5, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHE ET 2.

FIG. 2.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FINLEY R. PORTER, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CURTISSAEROPLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

FUEL-SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Application filed March 13, 1920. Serial ITO-365,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FINLEY R. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Garden City, in the county of Nassau and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-SupplySystems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motors and particularly motors of the internalcombustion type foruse in aircraft.

The object of the invention is an improved fuel supply system for motorswherein cer tain difliculties heretofore experienced are overcome. Insystems employing a fuel pump for pressure feed, it often happens thatthe gasoline escapes back from the supply tank (located at a higherlevel) thru the pump when the motor is not operating and is lost orescapes to the motor crankcase and spoils the lubricating oil containedtherein. For instance, with a gasoline pump of the .plunger type carriedby the crankcase, the gasolineoften raises the check valve in the pumpand creates sufficient head on the pump pistons to cause escapetherepast. According to the present invention these difiiculties areobviated, the arrangement being such that when the motor and pump arestationary it is impossible for the gasoline to enter the pump.

More specifically this improved fuel supply system comprises means whichis operative when the motor is stationary toisolate the supply tank fromthe pump but when the motor and pump are operating is responsive to theoperation of the motor and pump to establish communication between theintake of the pump and the supply tank. in the present embodiment ofthis invention this responsive device consists of a peculiar and novelautomatic means responsive to the suction of the fuel pump and a valvecontrol led thereby for establishing and interrupting the communicationbetween the pump and the supply tank.

For a more complete and full exposition of this invention, reference maybe had to the accompanying drawings exhibiting one embodiment thereofwherein Fig. 1 shows a conventional fuel plan arrangement for airplanesembodying the im- .provements,

Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic representation of the motor and the fuel supplysystem,

Fig. 3 is an-illustration in section of the automatlc means responsiveto the operation of the motor and pump,

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of eferring to the drawings,wherein like numerals refer to similar parts thruout, an aeroplane isillustrated embodying the usual fuselage 1, motor 2, propeller 3 andsupporting surfaces 4. The fuel for the motor 2 is contained in the mainsupply tank 5 and the gravity tank 6 and is fed therefrom to thecarburetor 7 of the motor thru the connections hereinafter described. Afuel supply pump 8 is mounted on the crankcase of the motor 2 and isdisposed below the level of the supply tank 5 as indicated in Fig. 1.The gasoline flows from the supply tank 5 thru a gravity pipe 9 to theT-connection '10 and thence to the intake 11 of the pump 8 and this pumpwhen in operation forces the fuel up thru the connection 12 to theT-connection 13, thence up thru the check valve 14 and T-connection 15to' the gravity feed line 16. This gravity feed line leads from theT-connection 15 in two directions respectively to the gravity tank 6 andto the carburetor 7 so that when the pumpis operated to supply fuel tothe carburetor 7 thru one branch of the gravity feed line, it is at thesame time maintaining the level of gasoline in the gravity tank 6, anoverflow 17 being provided between the gravity tank 6 and the supplytank 5.

The automatic means responsive to the operation of the motor or pump forestablishing and interrupting the ,fiow of gasoline is of cylindricalform and embodies a nipple or neck 19 which connects with the lead 19and also embodies a downwardly extending and. restricted extension 24.This extension 24 is provided with an annular shoulder or bearingsurface 25 and is adaptstem 36.

ed to receive and pass thru the couplin 23, as indicated herein, thecoupling 23 pre erably making a snug fit against the annular bearing 25.This coupling 23 is also chambered out and is in communication with thechamber in the neck 24 thru side openings 26 in the extension. Thepressure responsive device 22 has at its upper end a connecting neck ormember 27 which 1s internally threaded to receive the externallythreaded lower end of the extension 24 and this neck is provided with anannular bearing surface 28 for the reception of the lower side of thecoupling 23. The valve chamber of the member 21 is separated from theextension 24 by means of the downwardly closing valve 29, the lattermember being securely seated against the seat 30 and having a downwardlyextending guide and actuating member 31. The valve is normally heldagainst its seat by means of a compression spring 32 which bears withits lower end upon the upper side of the valve and against a plug 33screw threaded home into the upper part of the valve chamber 21, theplug 33 having a downwardly extending stem 34 for holding the spring inposition. The lower end of the extension 24 is provided with a verticalopening 35, communicating with the interior of the pressure responsivedevice 22 and the interior of the coupling chamber 23, and an actuatingstem 36 is attached to the bottom plate 37 of the pressure device 22 andextends upwardly thru the opening 35 in the stem and into engagementwith the valve guide 31, the latter beam recessed as indicated at 38 toreceive the upperbeveled end of the The pressure responsive device 22preferably assumes the form of a folded circular bellows which may be ofa noncorrosive character. In order to protect or shield the pressureresponsive device from injury in rough handling, a cylindrical shapedguard 39 is provided which screws onto the neck 27 as indicated androjects downwardly past the lower end of t e pressure device. The valvechamber 21 also preferably contains a screen 40 which insures a thoroughstraining of the gasoline in its passage from the intake 19, thru theextension 24 and to the coupling 23.

The operation of the system may be described as follows: When the motorand the pump are stationary the operative parts of the automatic deviceare as indicated in F g. 3, the pressure device 22 being extended andthe spring 32 serving to close the valve 29 securely against its seat.Under these conditions, namely while the motor is standing still, thegasoline can not pass from the supply tank 5 to the pump 8, the valve 29being securely held against its seat by the spring and successfullysealing the chambers against one another. When the motor 23 and fromthence the depression cause by such operation is communicated about thestem 36 to the interlor of the collapsible pressure responsive device22. The lowering of the pressure in the pressure device thereby causesthe device to collapse, allowable by its elastic nature, and the stem 36is elevated into engagement with the valve 29 thereby lifting the valve29 from its seat and allowing the gasoline to flow from the interior ofthe strainer 40 down thru the valve opening into the interior of thecoupling 23. Gasoline is thereby continuously fed by the pump up to thegravity feed line 16 leading to the gravity tank 6 and to the carburetor7 and this operation continues as long as the gasoline pump continues tooperate to maintain 'the pressure in ,the member 22 below that ofatmosphere, the area of the member or capsule 22 being greater than thearea of the valve 29 and thereby resulting in an unbalanced conditionwhich will lift the valve against the pressure of the spring 32. Assoon, how ever, as the pump stops again, the valve 29 is automaticallyclosed and serves to isolate the gasoline pump from the supply tank,thereby avoiding the loss of gasoline thru leakage from the pump andavoiding the escape of the gasoline thru the pump to the crank-case (incases where the pump is carried directly by the crank-case).

A hand pump 42 is illustrated for emergency operation and is connectedwith the T-connection 43 thru a branch connection 44, this T-connection43 leading thru a check valve to the T-connection 10 and thru anothercheck valve to the branch 45 and T-connection 13. By operation of thisemergency pump 42, gasoline may be taken from the main tank 5 thru theconnection 9 and forced into the gravity feed line 16.

In accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have setforth one complete embodiment of my improved fuel sup ply system, but itis understood. that the claims annexed hereto are to be construed tocover the spirit of the invention and are not to be limited to thespecific devices illustrated, except as is required by a considerationof the prior art.

What is claimed is 1. In a motive power system, the combination of adriving motor, a fuel supply reservoir, a fuel supply pump for supplyingfuel from said reservoir to said motor, a valve disposed in thecommunicating passage between the supply reservoir and the pump, andautomatic means responsive to pressure changes in said communicatingpassage for operating said valve, the change in pressure in saidcommunicating passage being in turn dependent upon whether or not thefuel supply pump is in operation.

2. In a motive power system, the combination of a driving motor, a fuelsupply reservoir, a fuel supply pump for supplying" fuel from saidreservoir to said motor, a'

valve disposed in the communicating passage between the supply tank andthe pump and adapted to close in the direction of the fluid flow andautomatic means responsive to the operation of the pump for opening saidvalve while the pump is operating.

3. In a motive power system, the combination of a motor and fuel supplyreservoir, a motor driven fuel supply pump for supplying fuel from thereservoir to the motor, a valve interposedbetween the supply tank andthe motor, and automatic means including an element movable into and outof'engagment with the valve, the movement of, such element beingresponsive to the operation of the pump to open said valve when themotor starts and to close said valve when the motor stops. w

A. In a motive power system, the combination of a motor and fuel supplytank elevated above the level thereof, a motor driven fuel supply pumpmounted upon the motor crank-case, a valve interposed in thepassageleading from the supply tank pump, and automatic means includingan element mov-- able intoand'out of engagement with said valve, themovement of said element being responsive to theoperation of thepump'for opening said valve when the motor starts and for closing saidvalve when the motor stops, for the purpose set ,forth.

5. In a motive power system for aircraft, the combination of a drivingmotor and fuel supply tank located above the level thereof, a motordriven fuel supply pump interposed between said tank and the motor andmounted on the motor crank-case, a valve located in the passage between.said tank and said pump and adapted'to open and close said passage, themovement of the valve enclosing such passage being in the direction ofthe fiuidflow and automatic means responsive to the depression onthe'intake side of the pump for o ening said-valve while the pump isoperating and closing said valve when the pump stops.

6. In a motive power system, the combination of a motor and fuel supplytank lo cated above the level thereof, a motor driven fuel supply pumpinterposed between said tank and the motor, a valve interposed betweensaid pump and supply tank and adapted to close in the direction of thefluid flow, said valve being effective against the head of gasoline inthe supply tank to remain closed except when the pump is in operation,and automatic means responsive to the operation of the pump forautomatically opening said valve when the motor starts.

7. In a motive power system, thecombination of a motor and fuel supplyreservoir located above the level thereof, a' motor driven fuel supplypump interposed between said supply reservoir and the motor and havingthe usual check valve, an automatically controlled valve interposedbetween the supply tank and the pump, means for securely closing saidvalve and main- .taining the same closedagainst the gasoline pressurewithin the circuit, said valve being adapted to close in the directionof the fluid flow, means for retaining said valve in a closed positionagainst a certain predetermined pressure therein and auxiliary means ofa large area which is responsive to the pressure within the circuit forovercoming the force of the closing means.

9. In a check valve for fuel supply systems, the combination of a valveclosing in the direction of fluid flow and subject to the fluidthereabove, means for positively closcomparatively small area subjectedto the ing same and means responsive to changes in pressure on the otherside of the valve for overcoming the pressure head, and a positive meansfor opening the valve when the pressure is reduced a predetermined pointon the suction side.

i 10. In a checkvalve, the combination of a valve containingmemberhaving a valve which closes in the direction of the fluid flow, ,a 5-ring for actuating said valve and closing t esame, a collapsiblebellows-like, device responsive to the changes in pressure on thepumping side the valve and operating to overcome the tension of theaforesaid spring to open the valve under predetermined conditions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'flix my signature.

FINLEY R. PORTER.

